Open-Source Instructional Materials

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June 26, 2017

TO THE ADMINISTRATOR ADDRESSED:

SUBJECT: Open-Source Instructional Materials

The Texas Education Agency is pleased to announce the upcoming availability of free online instructional materials for the following courses:

• Statistics
• Advanced Placement Macroeconomics
• Advanced Placement Microeconomics
• Physics
• Advanced Placement Physics 1
• Advanced Placement Physics 2
• Advanced Placement Biology
• Precalculus
• Chemistry

The materials were created by one of two state-contracted vendors: OpenStax (Rice University) and Study Edge (University of Florida). Products created by OpenStax are organized into units and chapters and can be used like traditional textbooks as the entire syllabus for a course. Products created by Study Edge may also be used to teach an entire course, but the content is delivered in short videos with master teachers presenting the material. TEA anticipates that teachers will use this content to supplement traditional textbooks to help students be more successful in these challenging courses.

The instructional materials are expected to be partially available by August 7 and fully available in September. Samples of the products can be viewed at http://tea.texas.gov/Academics/Instructional_Materials/Open-Source_Instructional_Materials/.

For questions regarding the material, please contact the Instructional Materials Division at
(512) 463-9601 or instructionalmaterials@tea.texas.gov.

Sincerely,

Monica Martinez
Associate Commissioner
Standards and Support Services